Sparks topple Lynx to claim elusive WNBA title

Owner Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Sparks holds the Championship Trophy for his team after a win in Game Five of the 2016 WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx on October 11, 2016 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Sparks defeated the Lynx 77-76 to win the WNBA Championship. Hannah Foslien/Getty Images/AFP

Candace Parker scored 28 points and Nneka Ogwumke drained the game-winning basket with 3.1 seconds remaining Thursday as the Los Angeles Sparks downed the Minnesota Lynx 77-76 to win the Women’s NBA title.

The victory in Minneapolis gave the Sparks a 3-2 triumph in the best-of-five championship series and their first WNBA crown since 2002.

They denied the Lynx a fourth championship in six years.

Ogwumike, who earned Most Valuable Player honors this season, scored from short range to put the Sparks back in front in the back-and-forth battle.

A desperation shot by Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen fell short at the buzzer.

Ogwumike finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Parker added 12 rebounds as she won her first WNBA championship. She outdueled Lynx star Maya Moore, who had 23 points to lead the Minnesota attack.

The see-saw battle was on a knife-edge through the final minute.

The Sparks led by as many as seven points late in the fourth, but Minnesota rallied to knot the score at 73-73 with 55.9 seconds to play.

The Lynx took a one-point lead with 23.4 seconds remaining, but Parker scored at the other end to make it a 75-74 game. Moore drained a 16-foot shot with 15 seconds left to put the Lynx ahead again, but Ogwumike responded with the decider.